Outside of Tin and Timber igmátic Russia's political structure may be, fairly precise information on her recent economic development has now become available. In this article we propose to examine two! vital indices: fuel and transport, which are perhaps the most essential for the Soviet Union's further industrial growth and for its strength in case of protracted and complete belligerency. They are the measure, too, of Russia's economic capacity to supply Germany, states the Manchester Guardian."
In spite of noticeable increases in coal production—Russia's share of world output has risen from 29 per ai cent. in 1928 to 112 per cent. in 1936—it has constantly lagged behind planned estimates. Although it "appears that the disparity between plan and fulfilment was less conspicuous during the Second Five-year Plan
ned quinquennium, total output was
Coal Mining
num accounted for 589 per cent. of the 1 seed. Seger ys even re NeasetBesMedeestotres ES Pes.
(1932-7) than during the first plan-
165 per cent. below schedule, or 127,900,000 tons as compared with the estimated figure of 152,500,000 tons.
The distribution of Russian coal-mining remained very, uneven, notwithstanding the grandiose policy of economic location; in 1938, according to official data, the Donetz Basin, which possesses 5.4 per cent. of the total coal deposits of the USSR,
country's coal output. The degree of mechanization of coal production is still extremely unsatisfactory; transport and loading continue to be largezzz: Lo ly carried on by horses and by hand,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.